


Not The Same

by wanderstar



Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 09:46:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3204713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderstar/pseuds/wanderstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This time, Arthur isn't the one having the nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not The Same

Someone was crying in the middle of the night, and it wasn’t him.

Arthur woke up in a confused tangle of sheets, sitting up and looking around the motel room. Where...? Oh. Oh no. 

Slipping out of bed Arthur went and shook Lewis out of his rest. “Lew... Lewis, come on, wake up.”

The ghost’s hair ignited, lighting the room in pale lavender light. He’d taken a chair in the room, leaving Arthur and Vivi to have a bed each, but he hadn’t expected to be woken in the middle of the night. Usually the two slept like rocks. Eventually two small lights glowed into view, flickering for a moment in a sort of blink. “Arthur, what-”

Another sob was heard and both boys froze, Lewis’ heart giving a worried pulse. The person crying – the person crying was _Vivi_.

Lewis nearly bolted to the girl’s side but before he could Arthur grabbed his arm, hissing a warning. “Wait! Don’t – you can’t wake her up.” The ghost looked back, incredulous, but then he saw Arthur’s grim expression. “Vivi, she...” Arthur swallowed as small flames began to spin around Lewis’ head. “She reacts badly if she’s woken up, and it stays with her all day. You just have to wait it out and hope she forgets.” He finally dropped the ghost’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

There was moment of silence only broken by the crying, Lewis’ flames throwing a shifting light onto the walls. “... How do you know this?” The mechanic looked away, rubbing his metal arm and giving a weak shrug. 

“Just... experience, really.”

Experience. Which meant...

This wasn’t the first time this had happened.

Lewis stood there confused, heart pulsing again. In all the times they’d stayed together, he’d never heard Vivi have a nightmare before, not even a peep, so when did – oh.

After the cave. When he _wasn’t_ there. And when Vivi would have far too many reasons for nightmares.

He was an idiot.

The flames around Lewis’ head died down, ghost slipping into his human appearance and looking over to Vivi’s bed. “You should sleep Arthur,” he said quietly.

“But-”

“Please.” He didn’t look back at the mechanic. “You won’t get anything from staying up. Vivi might need you in the morning.” And I’d like at least one of you to rest well tonight, he added silently.

There wasn’t a verbal reply but soon enough Lewis heard the creak of a bed, rustling sheets following a moment later. Lewis knew it might be selfish for him to shoo Arthur to bed like that when both of them were worried, but he didn’t need sleep. Not like the other two at least. Human appearance now firmly in place except for his eyes Lewis floated over to Vivi’s bed, taking in the scene. 

For a split second he thought his heart might crack all over again.

Vivi was curled up on her side, limbs trebling and her pillow held in a white-knuckled grip. Short gasping sobs came from her mouth as tears made a steady track down her face, and it took all of Lewis’ will to keep Arthur’s words in mind. He couldn’t wake her. It would just make things worse.

But right now, it already looked like a little piece of hell.

After a while, far too long, the sobbing and tears stopped, Vivi releasing the grip on her pillow and muscles relaxing. And yet... her breath was still shallow, face crumpling in distress.

Lewis stayed by her side the rest of the night.

***

When Vivi drifted awake she was surprised to find Lewis sitting cross legged on her bed, the ghost giving a small smile when he saw her look his way. For a moment the memory of her nightmare flickered across her mind but she shied away from it. Not now.

“Hey,” Lewis said quietly, leaning forward to grab her hand and holding it in his own. “You had us worried there for a bit.” 

Using Lewis’ grip to help Vivi sat up, running a hand through her hair. She saw Arthur was already up and putting on his metal arm.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You had a nightmare last night,” Arthur said, currently pulling on a fresh t-shirt. “Lewis stayed to make sure you were okay.”

“... Are you?” the ghost asked, and she looked back to find him giving her worried, well, puppy dog eyes. 

(Another memory of her nightmare surfaced. She chased it away.)

Vivi glanced back and forth as both boys watched her anxiously, finally heaving a dramatic sigh. “Sorry to worry you guys, I guess I just got really upset at Galaham dying.”

“What?!” Arthur squeaked, and Vivi had to throw out a quick “In the dream!” as Arthur sputtered. Lewis gave her a long look, clearly having seen through the lie. “... Vivi?”

“I’m okay Lewis,” she said, patting the back of his hand. She threw in a small smile. “Really. And honestly, if there’s anyone who needs to be worried over when it comes to nightmares, it’s you two.” And it was true to a degree. While Lewis didn’t have traditional nightmares he would still be struck by flashbacks that the others had to pull him out of, and both Vivi and Lewis had comforted Arthur after particularly bad nights.

By this point Arthur was also looking at her a bit too pointedly, having seen and helped out first hand when she’d dealt with her own hauntings after the cave. She didn’t need to drag him through the mud all over again.

“...We’re here for you Vi, okay?”

“I know,” she said, unable to hold eye contact with Arthur. Pulling her hand out of Lewis’ she climbed out of bed, stretching in her pajama t-shirt and shorts before grabbing her bag. “I’ll be changing in the bathroom guys, see you in a bit.”

Three minutes later, the door locked, Vivi still hadn’t started to change. Instead her hands gripped the edge of the sink, tears dripping onto the tile and arms shaking as she held back her sobs. She tried to imagine her friends from a moment before. 

Those kind, loving, concerned faces that would be willing to help her through anything.  
But she only cried harder.

For all she could see was the side of a body drenched in red, arm severed, and an impaled corpse staring dead as the blood dripped to her feet.


End file.
